This
is a lovely recording - the voices are excellent, the sound is wonderful,
and the music moving and intense. The only criticism is the relatively short
timing of the disc, which definitely leaves this listener wanting to hear
more.

The Rodion Schtschedrin
Carmen suite has become deservedly popular in the concert hall and with
percussion-emphasised rhythms has proved well suited to dancing and used
by many choreographers. It makes an effective aural backdrop to the compelling
picture, with good selection of camera angles.

Distinguished by skilled
word-setting and challenging and intriguing tonality. Our reviewer Mr Howell
to whom this project owes a great deal is a welcome and constant presence
throughout each of these pieces.

The unique sound-world
of Debussy is delivered with the utmost conviction.

Frederick
DELIUS
(1874-1934).The Beecham CollectionBrigg Fair.
Symphony Orchestra, recorded December 11 1928 & July 10 1929; On Hearing
the First Cuckoo in Spring and The Walk to the Paradise Garden (from
A Village Romeo and Juliet). Orchestra of the Royal Philharmonic Society,
rec. December 19-20 1927; Sea Drift*. Dennis Noble, Manchester Beecham
Opera Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra, rec. November 11 1928; North
Country Sketches: 'Autumn'* and 'Winter Landscape'*; Song before
Sunrise*; A Dance Rhapsody (No 2)*. London Philharmonic Orchestra,
rec. October 16 1945. (* previously unissued)
SOMM-BEECHAM 10 [74.45]
[SL]

The two recordings that
make this issue specially important are the freshly-minted Brigg
Fair from 1929 and Dennis Noble's strong delivery of
Sea Drift. With the 1934 Leeds Festival Arabesque and
Songs of Sunset in the previous release in this series, SOMM is coming up
with real treasures. What next?

Cello Octet
Conjunto Iberico hasdemonstrated, again and again, that the cello
is the most self sufficient of non-keyboard instruments, and that eight cellos
can do nearly as much as a whole orchestra. Their fresh recreation of El Amor
Brujo makes this CD well worth considering.

Adrian Leaper is a remarkable
conductor and his direction is exemplary. Obviously the Spanish air is having
an effect. He tweaks out of the music every nuance of characteristic expression.
Nancy Fabiola Herrera has the ideal darkly hewn quality coupled with clarity
of text delivery.

A fine recording of an
attractive work by a little-known composer. Hasse, teacher of Haydn and Mozart,
was a master of the opera seria. This, his final work, while sounding more
like an opera than a mass, is beautiful indeed.

A most intriguing disc,
thoroughly well documented. A real credit to Cassandra's sense of adventure.
Long may such ventures continue.[RB] This is a fine CD. Two works
by a forgotten composer who well deserves to be rediscovered. It is not too
much of an exaggeration to say that Kurt Hessenberg was probably a genius.
A must for all lovers of the best in 'neo-classicism.'
[JF]

The triumph of this,
the fifth instalment in the Chandos survey of Hindemith's orchestral music,
is the Violin Concerto, which is performed with tremendous panache by the
Greek violinist Leonidas Kavakos.

The contribution The
Clerks Group are making to our understanding of early Flemish polyphony is
very significant. This CD is all about the chanson 'Fortuna Desperata', as
every work with the exception of the wonderful 'Adieu mes amores' is based
on it.

The performances here
are all deeply impressive. The Academia Wind Quintet Prague, in particular,
is an outstanding group whose expressive, technical and stylistic qualities
lend distinction to the music and to this disc.

It is very strange that
these works have not been widely performed, even in the composer's home country,
and it is to be hoped that they will achieve more popularity from these
recordings [JP]
Koppel's translucent writing blends with Stravinskian
exhilaration.[RB].

It is
good to have performances of Lutoslawski played by Polish musicians who obviously
know and regard this music very highly. It is a useful introduction to the
composer but like all compilations leaves you feeling just a little frustrated.

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